President Obama almost breaks Reddit with thoughts on Citizens United, internet freedom, Michael Jordan and beer

After a campaign stop in Charlottesville, Va., President Barack Obama took time to nearly break one of the Internet's more popular websites.

Obama took questions from users of Reddit, a social news website where millions of users submit news and commentary, and those entries are rated by other users. The appearance created so much buzz online that the site was overwhelmed and had to be shut down temporarily.

The Commander In Chief responded to queries from all over the map, from serious issues like student debt, internet freedom and the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, to lighter fare, like the recipe for the White House beer and his favorite basketball player (Michael Jordan, of course ... "I'm a Bulls guy").

Naturally, in an internet-based question and answer session, there was a question about Internet Freedom. He was asked if the Democratic Party would make it part of their platform:

Internet freedom is something I know you all care passionately about; I do too. We will fight hard to make sure that the internet remains the open forum for everybody - from those who are expressing an idea to those who want to start a business. And although there will be occasional disagreements on the details of various legislative proposals, I won't stray from that principle - and it will be reflected in the platform.

With the recent death of Neil Armstrong, NASA has been a topic of conversation, and a user asked if there was a plan to increase funds to the space program:

Making sure we stay at the forefront of space exploration is a big priority for my administration. The passing of Neil Armstrong this week is a reminder of the inspiration and wonder that our space program has provided in the past; the curiosity probe on mars is a reminder of what remains to be discovered. The key is to make sure that we invest in cutting edge research that can take us to the next level - so even as we continue work with the international space station, we are focused on a potential mission to an asteroid as a prelude to a manned Mars flight.

With Super PACs and political campaign spending, Obama was asked if he was going to do anything about the "corrupting influence of money in politics":

Money has always been a factor in politics, but we are seeing something new in the no-holds barred flow of seven and eight figure checks, most undisclosed, into super-PACs; they fundamentally threaten to overwhelm the political process over the long run and drown out the voices of ordinary citizens. We need to start with passing the Disclose Act that is already written and been sponsored in Congress - to at least force disclosure of who is giving to who. We should also pass legislation prohibiting the bundling of campaign contributions from lobbyists. Over the longer term, I think we need to seriously consider mobilizing a constitutional amendment process to overturn Citizens United (assuming the Supreme Court doesn't revisit it). Even if the amendment process falls short, it can shine a spotlight of the super-PAC phenomenon and help apply pressure for change.

According to the LA Times, the thread had 1.8 million subscribers and received nearly 13,000 comments. Reddit General Manager Erik Martin also told the Times they would welcome Mitt Romney to take part in a similar Q&A. (Read the entire Q&A).

What did you think of the President's appearance on Reddit? Is this a good way for a candidate to connect to voters? Share your comments in the section below.